Feed grinder and blower



Filed Feb. 15, 1935 Patented May 19, 1936 PATENT OFFICE FEED GRINDER AND BLOWER John Holland-Letz, Crown Point, Ind., assignor to The Letz Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Indiana Application February ,15, 1933, Serial No. 656,895

4 Claims.

The present invention is directed generally to feed grinders, but more particularly to combination feed grinder and blower in which the fan wheel of the blower forms the plate holder for the revolving grinding plate.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple, compact and novel form of a combination feed grinder and blower in which a fan housing is attached to the side of the grinder and a novel arrangement is provided for adjusting the fan wheel and plate holder with respect to the stationary plate holder from the base of the grinder.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction of a combination feed grinder and blower in which the number of parts are reduced to a minimum and in which the cooperating parts thereof are so arranged that a quick adjustment may be effected for grinding various types of forage.

These and other objects are accomplished by providing a construction and an arrangement of the various parts in the manner hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the ap- I pended claims.

Referring to the drawingi Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my improved form of grinder and blower;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. dis a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 2.

In illustrating one form of my invention I have shown the same in connection with a somewhat conventional form of grinder which includes the usual form of concave or base plate, generally indicated by the reference character II], which in turn is supported by the usual supporting frame or legs I rigidly connected together by means of braces I2. Mounted in the bearing |3 carried by the base plate H), is a main drive shaft l4. The other end of the shaft is journaled in a bearing hereinafter described. Secured to one end of the shaft I4 is apulley wheel I5. Extending from the concave or base plate i is the usual hopper generally indicated by the reference character I6. Secured to the shaft l4 within the concave or base plate I0, is a conveyor screw l1. Positioned above the conveyor screw and. journaled in suitable bearings in the hopper I6 is a feeder or screw l9, secured toone end of the conveyor screw I8.

This gear l9 meshes with and is operatively driven by a pinion 20, secured to the shaft l4. Secured to the other side of the grinder proper and preferably to the concave or base plate I0 is a fan housing supporting casting, generally indicated by the reference character 2|, which is provided with a central bore or opening; as shown at 22, which surrounds the shaft and screw I1 and permits the passage of the material therethrough to the grinding plate. secured to the concave or base plate H] by means of bolts 22 which extends through oppositely disposed ears 23 formed integrally with the base plate I0. Mounted in a circular recess 24 in the casting 2| is a plate holder support 25 which in turn has located inwardly thereof a plate holder 26. The plate holder 26 is pivotally supported on a vertical axis within the plate supporter by means of vertical pins 21 so as to make the grinding plate self aligning. Secured to the plate holder 26 is a stationary grinding plate or burr 28. Secured to one side of the casting 2| is a fan or blower housing, generally indicated by the reference character 29. The housing 29 is fastened to the casting 2| by means of bolts 30 which extend through three arms 3| of a housing bracket 32. The housing bracket 32 is a circular member and is provided with an opening in the center thereof so as to admit air into the housing or opening 33 on one side of the housing. The other end of the main shaft 14 is journaled in a bearing sleeve 34. The sleeve 34 is free to move longitudinally through the opening 33 of the housing 29 with respect to the bracket 32. Mounted in a recess in one end of the bearing sleeve 34 is an end thrust bearing 35 which bears against the end of the shaft 34 and is held in the recess in the sleeve by means of a cap plate 36 secured thereto by means of bolts 31. Formed on the upper and lower sides and extending vertically from the sleeve 34 are circular lugs 38 which in turn engage semi-circular recesses 39 formed in the center portion 40 of an adjustable yoke member 4|. The yoke member 4| is provided with. two outwardly extending arms 42, at the outer ends of which, are apertures 43 through which two longitudinally extending rods 44 extend. The inner ends of these rods converge, as shown at 45, and have their inner ends provided with eyes which are connected by means of bolts 46 to the upper surface of the concave or base plate II], as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The intermediate portions or parallel extending longitudinal portions of these rods 44 are seated in recesses 41 formed in the opposite sides of the casting 2| and This housing casting 2| is in similar recesses 48 mounted in the periphery or flanges of the side walls of the fan housing 29 as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The outer ends of these rods 44 are threaded with one of them provided with a threaded nut 49 and the other with a threaded hand wheel 5!] for adjusting the thrust bearing sleeve 34 by means of which the revolving grinding plate may be adjusted with respect to the stationary grinding plate for grinding different types of forage in the manner hereinafter described. Secured to the main shaft l4 within the fan housing 29 is a combination fan wheel and plate holder, clearly indicated by the reference character 5|. This fan wheel is secured to the shaft I4 by means of a pin 52. Secured to the fan wheel at equally spaced apart distances are a plurality of fan blades 53, which are secured to one side of the flange or disc 54 of the fan wheel 5|. Secured to the other side of thedisc 54 is a rotating grinding plate 55, which in turn is adapted to cooperate with the stationary grinding plate 28 for grinding the material therebetween.

The operation of my improved feed grinder and blower is as follows:

Should the operator be desirous of adjusting the'rotary grinding burr 55 with respect to the relatively stationary burr 28, this may be accomplished by turning the hand wheel 50 and thereby move the thrust bearing sleeve 34 in a direction toward or away from the mill proper. In so doing, the shaft I4 is moved longitudinally carrying with it the fan wheel 5| as well as the burr or grinding plate 55, which is carried by the fan wheel 5|. In order to adjust the burrs for a coarser forage, the thrust bearing sleeve 34 is moved in a direction away from the machine or main frame by adjusting the yoke in a direction away from the main frame. As soon as the material to be ground reaches the grinding burrs the shaft I4 and grinding burr 54 is moved outwardly until the thrust of the outer end of the shaft bears against the thrust bearing sleeve 34. When a finer forage is required, the thrust bearing collar 34 is moved inwardly by adjusting the yoke 42 in a direction inwardly towards the frame.

In this connection it will be observed that by reason of the yoke member 4| supporting the outer bearing of the shaft l4 and the rods 44 engaging circular walls of the fan housing 29, all of these parts are supported in proper alignment directly to the main frame or concave member H! by reason of the rods being secured thereto. It will also be observed that by reason of the fan plate 53 extending radially from the fan wheel 5| and extending inwardly into the path of the'falling ground material, the fan effectively operates to discharge the material through the discharge spout 56 secured tangentially to the fan housing. It will be further noted that by supporting the outer thrust bearings of the main drive shaft as well as the rotating grinding plate therewith directly to the base or concave of the frame, it is possible to make a relatively light construction fan housing and generally simplify the construction of my improved combination feed grinder and blower. I

While in the above specification I have described one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will of course be understood that the same is capable of modification and that other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims:

What I claim is my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A feed grinder and blower comprising a frame, a main drive shaft mounted on said frame, a relatively stationary grinding plate secured to said frame, a fan housing secured to one side of said frame, a fan wheel secured to said shaft within said housing and having a plurality of radially disposed blades secured to one side thereof, a rotary grinding plate secured to the other side of said fan wheel, a radial and end thrust bearing supporting one end of said shaft including a sleeve adjustable longitudinally through an opening on one side of said housing, a yoke member for supporting said bearing, two longitudinally extending rods connected to said yoke at one of their ends and rigidly secured to said frame at the other of their ends, whereby said yoke may be adjusted for varying the position of said rotary grinding plate with respect to said stationary plate.

2. A feed grinder and blower comprising a frame, a main driveshaft mounted on said frame, a relatively stationary grinding plate secured to said frame, a fan housing secured to one side of said frame, a fan wheel secured to said shaft within said housing, a rotary grinding plate secured to said fan wheel adjacent said stationary plate, a yoke member extending across one side of said housing, an end thrust bearing oseillatably mounted in said yoke, and two longitudinally extending rods secured to said frame and adjustably connected to said yoke and engaging said housing for permitting said rotary plate to be adjusted with respect to said stationary plate and maintaining said housing in proper alignment with respect to said frame.

3. A feed grinder and blower comprising a frame, a main drive shaft mounted on said frame, a relatively stationary grinding plate secured to said frame, a fan housing secured to one side of said frame, a fan wheel secured to said shaft within said housing and having a plurality of radially disposed fiat blades secured to one side thereof, a rotary grinding plate secured to the other side of said fan wheel, portions of said fan blades extending into a plane passing through the surfaces of said plates, an end thrust sleeve supporting one end of said shaft and means connected with said frame and oseillatably connected to said sleeve for adjusting said shaft longitudinally of said stationary plate.

4. A feed grinder and blower comprising a frame, a main drive shaft journaled on said frame, a relatively stationary grinding plate secured to said frame on one side thereof, a fan housing surrounding said grinding plate and secured to one side of said frame, a fan wheel secured to said shaft within said housing, a plurality of fan blades extending radially from one side of said fan wheel, a rotary grinding plate secured to said fan wheel on the other side thereof, a thrust bearing on one end of said shaft, a yoke having an oscillatable connection with and for supporting said thrust bearing, longitudinal rods having their inner ends converging and secured to said frame and their outer ends adjustably secured to said yoke, certain portions of said rods engaging the side walls of said housing whereby said yoke may be adjusted for adjusting the relative position of said plates with respect to each other and maintaining said housing in proper alignment with said frame.

JOHN HOLLAND-LETZ. 

